Attack On Zootopia
by Starfang's Secrets
Summary: In a world where Titans exist, war has broken out between Eldia and Marley. Judy Hopps, the first rabbit in the Scouts Regiment, has to find a way to control the wild Titans before it's too late. Will she'll be able to do it alone? And who is the mysterious Irus, a smart-mouthed drifter fox tod with a mysterious past that could hold the key to everything. WildeHopps! ON HIATUS.
1. Episode 1

A/N: Hello everyone!

Here is the project I have been working on with ADeadMissionary! Surprise! It's an Attack On Titan and Zootopia crossover! Yay! So, I got this crazy idea while I was working on the last chapter of _Embrace It_ and reading Attack On Titan at the same time, and it just hit me: I should do a crossover of this! ADM helped me work out the kinks of this, which I am _supremely_ grateful for, and this is the result!

This might end up being longer than the original three chapters I had hoped to keep it at, but nowhere near as long as Embrace It is at lol speaking of Embrace It, it is still my main endeavor, so that means this will be updated veerryyyy slowly. Hope you guys don't mind^^

I also looked, and this is the first of its kind, and I'm kinda excited about it!^^ I hope you all—well, those who chose to read it—enjoy it!

~Star

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

 _ **SPOILER ALERT!**_ : This work of fanfiction contains _**MASSIVE**_ spoilers for _Attack On Titan_. I read the manga, and have used everything at my disposal to create this work. Honestly, you can't really tell what is a spoiler and what is something I've twisted to suit my story, but if you don't want to have the anime spoiled for you, I'd recommend not reading it. I understand.

* * *

 _For decades, the countries of Eldia and Marley have been at each other's throats. It all began a century prior, when Eldia was the dominant world power. Consisting predominantly of predators and prey with predatory features, the country of Eldia had a unique condition: when exposed to a concentrated solution of a certain plant, they would transform into giant, naked, mindless beasts that would have an unquenchable hunger for mammal flesh. Using at first prisoners, and then the poor, they utilized these Titans as weapons of war, conquering countries and territories one after another. Many countries were oppressed, but none more so than Marley, whose hatred and prejudice against predators incited the rage of the Eldians. It wasn't until the 145_ _th_ _king, Leodore Lionhart I, overthrew his father and freed the many mammals under their control. He even utilized the Titans to help rebuild and reestablish the once enslaved countries and territories, regaining the favor of many spurned monarchies. Once King Leodore Lionhart I felt they had atoned for their crimes, he erased all knowledge of how to control the Titans, so that they may never be used as weapons again. For a time, it seemed all had been forgiven by the other nations. Save for one; Marley. They held onto their hatred…_

 _War finally broke out when Fester Bellewether, the 200_ _th_ _king of Marley, sanctioned the kidnapping and the experimentation of Eldians. Rediscovering how to activate their ability to turn into Titans and use it against them, it seemed Marley had the upper paw-that is, until it was revealed that Eldia had a hidden ace; mammals who could switch between Titan and mammal forms, retaining their intelligence—Titan Shifters. These eight mammals were known as_ Ymir's Guard _, named after the Original Titan, and had remained a secret from the world for many centuries until King Bellewether stepped too far._

 _It soon became apparent to the Marleyans that they had no way of controlling the wild Titans, as they later called them, and with the knowledge on how to control them lost, they soon became a plague to the world. Entire villages were massacred by the Titan's insatiable hunger, countless soldiers sacrificed to take out the threat._

 _Yet, Marley continued to kidnap despite Eldia's best efforts, and continued to create wild Titans. Until then, they had just kidnapped Eldian peasants, mostly predators with the occasional prey mammal; mammals they had easy access to._

 _The situation escalated when a noble, Lord Emmet Otterton of the royal walled capital city_ Zootopia _, was kidnapped on a business trip to the north…_

~o.8.o~

 _ **The Royal City of Zootopia, Wall Vulpus-The Royal Sector**_

Within the War Room of the palace, five mammals sat at an oval table, the atmosphere tense. At the head of the table was a lion dressed in scarlet and golden royal garb, a magnificent crown resting on his head; this was King Leodore Lionhart VII. To his right sat a cape buffalo bull by the name Adonis Bogo, and he was the Commander of both the _Scouts Regiment_ and _Ymir's Guard_. To his right was a white with black stripes rabbit buck; Commander Jack Savage of the _Mammal Infiltration_ _and Termination Unit_. Across from Adonis sat Commander Skye Frost; an artic vixen and head of the _Garrison_. Finally, to her left, was a bobcat tom; Commander Dustin Spottedtale of the _Military Police Brigade_.

"The Marleyans have gone _too far_ , now." Commander Spottedtale growled.

"They went too far when they started taking _peasants_." Commander Frost glared at the bobcat.

"But now they've taken a noble!" The bobcat growled, trying to mask his fear. _'We're no longer exempt from it.'_

"We'll do as we have done in the past." Commander Bogo said before more could be exchanged between the two. In general, the _Military Police Brigade_ didn't get along well with the other three divisions because of the internal corruption, but there wasn't much they could do about it, nor was this the time. The cape buffalo turned his eyes to the buck at his side, his pupils vertical slits. "We'll bring home what is ours. We've had much success before, isn't that right, Commander Savage?"

The buck nodded curtly, the slits of his pupils narrowed in disinterest. "We have gone to retrieve our captured citizens many times, and are successful eight out of ten times."

"But you are transferring the Attacker Titan tonight, no?" The king interjected with a worried frown, his savage eyes on the cape buffalo.

Adonis sighed through his nostrils. "Yes, we are. Wolferson is unable to transform into the Attacker Titan without the risk of him dying from the strain, and he's agreed that it's time. His thirteenth anniversary is in a few days, after all."

"It is regretful, but I cannot let you go on a mission without the full strength of _Ymir's Guard_ , which will take time for the new bearer of the Attacker Titan to achieve." The king said with a sigh.

Commander Frost stood from her seat, alarmed. "But Lord Otterton—"

"Will have to wait." The lion glared at the vixen, and then the mammals at the table, before standing up himself. "This meeting is over." He glared at the four commanders before they could protest.

"Yes, your majesty." Skye said as she averted her gaze, glaring down at the table. The other three males present murmured it with varying degrees of respect—or lack thereof—before, with a nod and his head held high, King Leodore Lionhart VII walked out of the War Room.

There was a beat of silence before Skye slammed her fist against the table. "That—that coward!"

"Easy, Frost." Jack said. "If someone overheard you, it could be considered treason, and then I'd have to 'take care' of you."

"Bite me, Savage." Frost growled.

The buck merely shrugged. "If that's what you like." He merely smirked at her indignant snort.

Dustin frowned in disgust and got up. "You two are gross." He then glared at Adonis. "This is your fault."

The cape buffalo arched a brow at the feline.

"I bet that wolf of yours is still well enough to fight." Spottedtale spat when Adonis didn't respond verbally. "He just can't take being a monster anymore. Now he's gonna put another mammal through the sa—"

"If Wolferson is a monster," Bogo began as he stood up to his full height, his gaze hard on the smaller mammal, "what does that make you, who has the potential to become one?"

Fear. True, genuine fear flashed across the eyes of the bobcat, before the feline averted his gaze with a snarl. "Just be sure your mammals are at full strength in two weeks, or else we'll be having to explain to Lady Otterton why we have nothing to show for her husband's corpse."

Frost, Bogo, and Savage all watched in silence as the bobcat stormed out of the War Room.

"How a mammal like that ever became a commander…" Skye shook her head in disdain.

"You know the _MP_ is rotten from the inside out." Jack said as he took to his feet, giving a slight stretch. "He probably has connections. Regardless, we need to focus on more important matters." Slate blue eyes met reddish brown ones. "Are we really not going to do anything? There are lives at stake."

"You heard his majesty." Bogo said reluctantly. "He wants our forces to be at full strength. That won't be for at least another two weeks. At this point, Lord Otterton and the others will be…" The three mammals fell silent, their thoughts grim. It was common knowledge to the public that the Marleyans held their captives for two weeks, experimenting on them during that time period. It was during the third week that they turned them into Titans.

Jack bared his teeth, tiny fangs only Eldian prey possessed glinting in the light. "I say we forsake the orders, and rampage through the Marleyan base our intel says Lord Otterton and the others are being held."

"It's that type of attitude that could get _you_ put away for treason, Savage." Skye chastised softly.

The buck glared at her. "It's what makes me good at my job, Frost. I'm willing to do what others won't." The _Mammal Infiltration and Termination Unit_ , also known as the _Anti-Mammal Unit_ ,or _Interrogation and Torture Division_ , was the only part of the force dedicated solely towards dealing with normal mammals. They did what was necessary to get information out of others and keep their country safe, even if it meant making someone disappear.

"This is not one of your missions, Savage." Bogo glared. "This is a command from our king, and we'll follow it. Something you rabbits need to learn to do."

Instead of rising to the bait, the buck stared at the cape buffalo, before giving the bull a cynically amused glance. "Speaking of rabbits; how's my cousin doing? I heard she killed a Titan all by herself. Against _your_ orders." The buck smirked at the glower Bogo was shooting him, and it only deepened at Skye's muffled giggle. "Heard she saved a civilian by doing that, too. Does my heart proud that she's following in _my_ footsteps."

~o.8.o~

 _ **Wall Lapin-The Pasture District**_

' _In. Out. In. Out.'_

That was the manta going through Judy Hopps' mind as she focused on her breathing, controlling how much of it passed through her lungs as she continued her laps around the field within the _Scouts'_ barricade. It was part of her punishment for disobeying orders the day before, but she knew she would do it again if it was to save a life.

On the other side of the field, towels and water bottles in hooves, Sharla McFur watched as her best friend ran at a steady pace, seeming to never tire. The doe had been running since just after dawn, and it was now getting close to one in the afternoon. _'Why is the commander so tough on her?'_ The black-wool ewe thought sullenly. _'She was just trying to help.'_ The sound of approaching paws made her ears perk, and she turned her head to see a familiar tod. "Hey, Gideon." She smiled.

"Hey ya, Sharla." The dark red tod nodded, coming to a stop beside the ewe as his gaze settled on the running bunny.

Sharla glanced at the tod once more, before she shifted her brown eyes with slit pupils back to Judy. When they had been younger, she and Judy, along with a few other prey mammals had been bullied by the tod, who was about five years older than them. It wasn't until his mother was kidnapped by the Marleyans did he change. He apologized to them, helped them when they needed it, and then joined the _Cadet Academy_ when he was fifteen. Three years later, he became one of the eight mammals of _Ymir's Guard_ , a Titan Shifter. Having just joined the _Scouts_ , they weren't privy to which Titan he held, and in all honesty, she was too afraid to ask.

"Ya need ta kno' when ta think before ya jump, Looney Judy." Gideon said, snapping Sharla out of her thoughts as she came to realize the grey doe was nearing them. The fox had a smile on his face, one that Judy returned.

"I did! And I thought it would be a great idea to save a life!" She called in-between breaths as she paused in front of them, jogging in place. "And don't call me that, Grey, or do I need to kick you in the nose again?"

The tod snorted, before waving his paw for her to come closer. "Ya can stop. Da commander wants ta punish you, n't kill ya. Eat, rest, 'nd then go see him. He's got an assignment for ya."

Judy stopped her jogging in place, gratefully accepting the water bottle from Sharla as she poured it on herself, hoping to help her body cool off faster that way, before using a towel to get rid of the excess moisture. Pulling her face away from the towel, vertical slit amethyst eyes gazed curiously at her bully-turned-friend. "The commander has an assignment for me? Why?"

Gideon shrugged. "Ah just follow commands, something you should try. Da commander doesn't take too kindly ta mammals trying ta be 'eroes." He said seriously.

"It was another mammal's _life_!" Judy shouted, her paw gesticulating in the air passionately as she spoke. "What was I supposed to do; let that wild Titan eat them? That's _not_ what the _Scouts_ are about, Grey. We're the only division actively at the front lines with the _I.T._ _Division_ ; we _save_ mammals from wild Titans."

The older tod sighed. "Ah won' arg'ya with ya. Just go eat, make yerself pres'ntable, 'nd go see Commander Bogo. He's at da base within da palace. If ya leave now, 'nd use yer 3D-Gear, you'll make it before dinner. Those are yer orders, cadet."

Ears down, Judy glared at her friend and ranking officer, before turning her head to the side with a sigh. "Yes, sir."

With a nod, Gideon walked away, not before patting the bunny on a shoulder.

Once they were sure the tod was out of earshot, Sharla sighed. "He's right, Judy."

"Not you, too." The gray doe groaned.

"We just graduated a week ago, Judy." Sharla explained hurriedly. "You may have been the best in our class, but that doesn't make you invincible. How do you think your parents would feel if they lost you because of _your_ impulsiveness?"

That killed any protests that had formed on Judy's tongue, her ears laying limply against her back. Just the thought of her parents mourning over her made her heart clench, and she averted her gaze from the ewe.

Feeling guilty about using her family against her, Sharla gave the doe a brief hug. "Look. Why don't you take Gideon's advice and go get something to eat before heading over to see the commander? I heard they brought in some produce from your farm today, and there are _extra_ tulips."

Judy let out a watery chuckle at that, wiping at her eyes. "Okay, I'll go eat. But those tulips are _mine_."

Sharla laughed, amused by the bunny's love for tulip petals. Together, the two females headed back to the cafeteria. There, the bunny ate some of the extra tulips her parents had sent her—putting the rest in her secret snack stash—along with her portion of rations. She ignored the stares and comments of her colleagues, especially those that congratulated her for her achievement. She wasn't a _Scout_ for the fame; she just wanted to save mammals.

Once done, she and Sharla said their goodbyes before Judy went to quickly freshen up and change into a new uniform and 3D-Gear. Once everything was fastened into place, the doe hopped onto the ledge of her open window, her amethyst eyes taking in the country. The base for the Scouts was located just outside Wall Feline, within the Pasture District of Wall Lapin. She would need to take a Racer—a species of lizard tamed and ridden by mammals—to the entrance of Wall Feline, before using her 3D-Gear to reach Wall Vulpus.

Each city of Eldia was surrounded by walls; the first line of defense against both Titans and other mammals. Being the royal capital, _Zootopia_ was unique in that it had three walls. Wall Lapin was the outermost wall, where the farmlands and the majority of the peasants lived. Wall Feline was where the Marketplace District was, and the middle class citizens claimed most of the residency there. Then there was Wall Vulpus, the Royal District where the most prestigious lords of the whole country lived alongside the king.

Judy sighed. "Better get going. Don't want to keep the commander waiting." With that, the doe hopped down from her first-floor window and headed to the stables. Opening the door, her eyes lit up as they settled on a small, pure black Racer. Its body was sleek and full of muscle, showcasing its strength. Its streamline body was about five feet long not including the three-foot tail, and low to the ground; its short, yet lean legs built for speed.

A gift from her father from when she had graduated.

"Hey, Midnight." Judy cooed as she walked up to the stall. Reaching out a paw, the Racer nudged its snout against it, a soft reptilian growl escaping its mouth as it closed its eyes. The doe smiled. "C'mon girl. Let's get going." Saddling up Midnight, Judy mounted the reptile before heading out. She could not help the shriek of laughter that left her as the reptile lived up to its breed's name, its body zipping swiftly down the road that led to the entrance of Wall Feline.

"Good afternoon, Hopps!" A bison cow greeted jovially as the bunny and Racer slowed their pace as they got closer to her position. She was currently mammaling the satellite stables for the Scouts stationed at Wall Feline's East Gate.

"Hey, Hoofterson!" The bunny smiled in greeting as she smoothly dismounted Midnight just before the Racer stopped, reigns still in paw as she led the lizard to her temporary stable. "How is everything?"

"Boring." The bison groused. "No one likes stable duty."

"I'm not looking forward to my first time at it." Judy said with a sheepish smile as she made sure Midnight was put away. She fondly stroked the Racer's snout one last time before exiting the stables, stopping by the bison.

Rebecca Hoofterson gave Judy an amused look. "I doubt you'll get stable duty, Hopps. You've got talent. Talent Eldia needs at this time."

 _'Tell that to Commander Bogo.'_ Judy mentally grumbled. "We'll see. I have to go see Commander Bogo, so I'll talk to you later!" With that, she deployed her 3D-Gear, the dual grappling hooks latching far up the wall. The doe had just enough time to wave at her comrade before she was propelled from the waist up the vast wall.

Rebecca shook her head in mild amusement as the doe let out a shriek of laughter. "That bunny is definitely one of a kind. Not even Command Savage was like that when he first joined, if the stories are true…"

Judy let out another peal of laughter as she reached the top of the wall, the pitch increasing as she threw herself right over it without a second's hesitation. While she had joined the Scouts to save people, this was one of her favorite aspects of the job; the 3D-Gear. The ability to fly through buildings and trees. The rush of adrenaline as she defied gravity over and over again. It was addicting to the unusual bunny.

Now within the limits of Wall Feline, it was a stark contrast to the environment of Wall Lapin. Instead of rolling plains and sparse forests and villages scattered about, there were buildings in every direction. Residential, commercial, and educational districts within towns and cities made up the entirety of what was known as "The Marketplace". The homes ranged from plain, but sturdy, to levels of extravagance just below that of royalty.

Using her gear, Judy flew between and over the buildings with grace and skill uncommon for such a rookie. She twirled in the air, performing flips and tricks—not to show off, though it may come across as that to others—but simply for the thrill of the experience.

It seemed all too soon for the doe when the grandeur of Wall Vulpus finally loomed over her. Landing with a slight grunt before the entrance, she secured her gear with a sigh, before making her way to the East Gate. Only the _Military Police Brigade_ were allowed to use their gear within Wall Vulpus, unless there was an emergency. Since seeing her commander didn't count as an emergency, the doe had to walk from there, which would take her about an hour.

Nodding to the two guards stationed at the entrance, a male coyote and a female dingo, the bunny entered through the open gate.

Strolling through the Royal District always felt a bit of a culture shock for the country bunny. While _Zootopia's_ minority were prey mammals, the majority of them lived within Wall Feline and Wall Lapin, the outer wall holding the greatest amount. Within Wall Vulpus, predators made up the majority of the royal population. There were lords and ladies dressed in attire that would cost her family a whole year's worth of crops, eating at restaurants that would cost even more than that. It always amazed her how mammals could spend so much money on such frivolous things.

Lost in her thoughts as she was, the bunny wasn't watching where she was going, and consequently ran into another mammal with a soft "ouf".

"I am so sorry, I didn't mean—" Judy began as she looked up, only to be cutoff by the deepest shade of green she'd ever seen before. _'Emeralds.'_ Her mind thought in awe. _'They're like emeralds.'_

"It's alright, sweetheart." A smooth, masculine voice said. It brought the bunny back to the present and out of the spell the mammal's eyes had drawn her into, and allowed her to take in said mammal. It was a red fox tod, which didn't startle her as much as it would have another of her kind, considering her friendship with Gideon. What _did_ startle her, was how different he was compared to her kithood friend.

The stranger tod's coat was a lighter, fiery red compared to Gideon's; where her friend was a bit short and stout, this tod was tall and lean. Coming from the same village as her, Gideon dressed in modest clothing. The fox before her, however, was dressed in fine clothing—not to the level of extravagance befitting the mammals around them, but definitely of one belonging to a rich family. His face was that of confidence, his savage emerald eyes gleaming with hidden knowledge.

He was…strangely attractive. For a fox.

"You okay, there, sweetheart?" The fox said as he tilted his head slightly to the side.

Judy felt her ears flush with embarrassment as she realized that she'd been staring, and quickly averted her gaze. "Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I have to go." With that, she hurriedly moved passed the tod, leaving a confused fox in her wake.

The tod turned his head to watch as the bunny all but dashed away from him, leaving him confused. It hadn't been apprehension, as rabbits usually reacted in regards to his species, but embarrassment that had forced her departure. His ears perked when he finally noticed the black and white wings embroidered into the jacket she wore, surprise lighting his savage emerald eyes. "Huh."

For the rest of her trip to her commander's office, Judy made sure to stay focused on her surroundings, lest she run into another handsome tod.

 _'He wasn't handsome!'_ She thought furiously as she finally arrived at her destination.

The palace of Eldia was an architectural masterpiece, one of the seven wonders of the world—as it should be. No mammal could have fashioned the graceful, twisting archways, the towers that seemed to bend organically and defy gravity. The material itself was otherworldly, the majority of it some type of luminous, crystal that was a pale green color. Indeed, only one creature could have created such splendor; Ymir, the first Titan.

The view always struck Judy with awe, and she gazed at the structure for a moment, before forcing her limbs to move to the castle entrance. Once again, she nodded towards the guards stationed at the doors, and navigated the halls as if she'd been there her whole life. Which, admittedly, wasn't true. She had just spent an entire week memorizing the lay of the palace in case of an emergency, and knew exactly where Bogo's officer was within it, despite it being only her second time there.

After a few more twist and turns, and sightseeing, the young bunny doe finally made it to a door that read, _"Commander Bogo's Office"_. Taking a deep breath, Judy steeled herself before raising a paw and giving the large door a firm knock.

"Enter." Came the commander's gruff voice.

With a hop and a grunt of effort, the bunny Scout pushed the heavy door open, revealing a sparsely decorated office. The most defining features were the desk, the two chairs on her side of the desk, and the cape buffalo seated behind said desk.

"You wanted to see me, commander?" Judy said with a confidence she didn't feel at all. While she would disobey commands to save lives every single time, she would always be intimidated by her leader.

"Take a seat." The bull said without looking up from the papers he was currently looking over. Forcing her ears to remain up, the doe closed the door behind her and made her way to the overly large chair in front of her boss. With a single hop, she took her seat and waited for Bogo to acknowledge her.

And waited.

And waited.

Just when she was about to clear her throat in her impatience, the Commander of the _Scouts Regiment_ sighed heavily through his nostrils. She could not help but flinch slightly as savage reddish brown orbs met her own savage, amethyst eyes with a stern look.

"Do you know why I called you hear, Hopps?" Bogo asked without emotion. Judy felt her ears dip just a bit.

"Because I disobeyed orders, sir." She responded without hesitance.

The cape buffalo almost sneered in frustration at his newest Scout. If she had feigned ignorance, or had displayed a cocky attitude, it would have given him reason to chew the little mammal out like he wanted to. However, her intentions had been pure, which infuriated him even more.

"Yes, because you disobeyed orders." Adonis intertwined his hooves to form a small bridge with them. He continued in a stern manner. "This division, as you know, specializes in wild Titan elimination. We work closely with the _Mammal Interrogation and Termination Unit_ at the front lines. More often than not, we are the face of Eldia to the rest of the world. That means, Hopps," Bogo leaned over his desk as he glared at the smaller mammal, "we cannot go about disobeying orders on a _whim_."

"But, sir—" Judy began as she stood up, her ears erect.

"No buts, Hopps." Her said sternly.

Frustrated, she gestured with her arms wildly. "I was saving another life! It's what we _do_ , commander!" Judy said passionately. "Yes, we hunt down and kill wild Titans, but we also look out for our citizens. And if it takes disobeying orders to do so, I would—"

" _Don't_ finish that sentence." Bogo cut in sharply, his eyes livid. This caused Judy's ears to fall against her back as she averted her glare to the chair she was standing on. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he moved forward with the plan he had thought up of since his meeting that morning. "I'll ignore that you nearly admitted to willful disobedience for the time being. However, you're not out of hot water yet, rabbit. You're on probation."

"What?!" Judy asked in shock as she turned to her superior, her ears popping up.

"Silence!" Bogo snarled, baring his fangs as he pounded his fist. Judy felt her own lips twitch in response to the display, but held herself back and settled for glaring at the cape buffalo. "You're on probation as of this moment. I will give you a task, and if you can't complete it within the allotted timeframe, you will _resign_ from the Scouts. Is that clear?" He asked sharply when she made to interrupt once more.

Averting her gaze, she gave a curt nod.

"Good." The cape buffalo then leaned back in his seat and put on a pair of glasses. "Now, your assignment is to find a way to control wild Titans."

Amethyst eyes widened as she turned to Bogo in shock once more, her jaw moving without sound as she tried to articulate words. "B-but that's impossible! Such knowledge has been lost for decades!"

"You'll have a week's time." Adonis continued as if she hadn't spoken. "That should be enough time for the _number one cadet of the 104_ _th_ _class_. If you can't achieve this simple task, I want your tail _gone_." He narrowed his eyes as the doe. "Do I make myself clear?"

"B-but—"

"Do. I. Make. My. Self. _Clear_?"

Seeing that her boss was serious about this, serious about sabotaging her dream in such a way, the doe felt a cocktail of helplessness and anger well up within her as she glared back at the cape buffalo. "Crystal."

Adonis snorted, satisfied with himself. "Dismissed."

~o.8.o~

As the sun began to set, a unique ceremony was scheduled to soon begin. Far below the dungeons of the palace, in a place only known to the king, _Ymir's Guard_ , and a select few, was a place created entirely of the luminescent green crystal that made up part of the palace. It was a vast, underground cavern, with columns of the same material holding up the roof, giving off a faint glow that never allowed true darkness to envelope the area. Towards a set of doors, jutting out from the ground, was a type of tribute stone extending twenty feet up into the air. At the very tip of the stone where it formed into some type of cliff were a pair of shackle and chains.

Below the cliff was a group of nine mammals all dressed in their uniforms and their gear. A tigress and male cheetah were talking with each other, a bag of sweets in the otherwise lean spotted feline's paws. To the right of them were two grey wolves; one of them was a darker shade, and was helping the lighter gray wolf stay on his feet as he looked rather thin and sickly. On the other side was a red fox tod talking with a pair of polar bear males, one older than the other. Finally, there were two gazelles, a male and female that were just leaning against each other, seeming to draw comfort from the other.

The double wooden doors opening drew the attention of all the mammals, revealing the arrival of the Commander of both the Scouts Regiment and Ymir's Guard; Adonis Bogo.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." The cape buffalo said as he walked further into the cavernous underground sanctum.

"We weren't kept waiting long, Commander." The tigress, Sofia Fangmeyer, purred.

The cape buffalo nodded, then frowned at the bag of treats in the cheetah's paws, the scent of pastries reaching him. "Clawhauser! What have I said about snacking this late?"

The cheetah meeped as he hid the bag behind his back, his posture ramrod straight. "N-not to do it, sir! Because then I'd be too fat to fight, sir!"

"Then why do you have that bag?" Bogo growled.

"I-I…" The cheetah's ears pressed down against his head as his shoulders slouched. "I'm…stressed."

The meaning of the cheetah's words hit home with all of them, the atmosphere becoming somber.

"Eh, let him snack tonight, commander." The sickly-looking wolf said with a grin. "He deserves it every once in awhile."

"Very well." Bogo said with a sigh, but there was no reluctance in his tone. "How are you holding, Marcus?"

Marcus, the sickly wolf, shrugged. "Been better; been worse. We all knew this day would come."

Bogo nodded. "Let's say our goodbyes. I'll go first." The cape buffalo said. "I want to start off by saying that I have seen too many mammals die because of war, and a wish this weren't necessary. I wish I was in your paws. I wish you didn't have to carry this burden handed to us by our ancestors."

"Don't say that." Marcus coughed. "You know you're the only one able to lead us. The only mammal capable."

"Still, if I could hold the power of the Titans myself…I would." Bogo admitted.

"I know." Marcus gave a soft smile.

Bogo nodded and looked away, feeling his heart grow colder. It did so every time there was a Transferring Ceremony.

"I'll go next." The tigress, Sofia Fangmeyer, said as she approached her dying comrade. Stooping down slightly to wrap her arms around the canine, she brought him out of the other wolf's grip and into a big hug. "It was great knowing you, working with you. You are a wonderful mammal, a talented Scout, and the world will be a darker place without you."

Marcus choked slightly as he weakly returned the hug. "Thank you, Sofia."

With a sniffle, the tigress gently gave Marcus back to the other wolf.

A sudden sob sounded, and they all turned to Benjamin Clawhauser, whose face was soaked in tears. It was his first ceremony, not counting his own, and the usually bubbly cheetah was not handling it well.

Wolferson gave the cheetah a watery smile as he opened his arms as much as he could. "Come 'ere, you big softy."

Wordlessly, Clawhauser quickly made his way over to his comrade and brought him into as tight of a hug as he dared. He gave deep, heart wrenching sobs as he cried into the wolf's neck. The sound of his despair caused a few the other mammals to start to sniffle as they thought back to their first ceremony as well. The first time was always the hardest.

Once the feline was done, he pulled away. "I-I'm sorry, M-Marcus. I'm j-just going t-to miss you s-so much!" He sniffled as he wiped at his tears.

Marcus smiled at his comrade, tears soaking his own face. "It's okay, Ben. Thank you. I'll…I'll miss you, too."

That nearly caused Ben to start sobbing again, so he turned away quickly just as the pair of gazelles approached the wolf.

Marcus smiled at the two, and winked at the female. "Gazelle."

The female gave a long-suffering sigh that held no heat as she gave the wolf a weak glare. "You know I hate that nickname." Gabby "Gazelle" Gacella said, her accent indicating that she came from the western parts of Eldia. She then gave the wolf a hug, who returned it.

"Congratulations on your engagement." Marcus said as Gabby ended the hug, wiping at her eyes. He then focused on the male. "I wish I had been able to make it."

Michael Grasz placed a hoof on Marcus' shoulder, his jaw working for a moment before he spoke. "I know." He said thickly.

Marcus patted the hoof with a watery smile, and then focused on the tod that was approaching them as the gazelles retreated. "No pie for me?"

Gideon Grey gave the wolf a sheepish look. "Sorry, Marcus. Ah tried, bu' they uh, di'nt turn ou' so well." He wouldn't tell the wolf that he'd been too busy crying to do much baking.

"That's alright. The pies you made last time were more than enough to last me a lifetime." Marcus drawled.

Gideon's smile wobbled a moment at the wolf's words, and he swallowed thickly. "Ah, uh, Ah'll miss ya. Great teacha you were."

"You're talented, Grey." Marcus said with a smile before drawing in a ragged breath. "It'll be up to you to teach the next Guards how to have fun."

"Tha' I'll do, Marcus." Gideon nodded, before the two canines grasped at each other's forearms in an ancient symbol of camaraderie.

Marcus gave a soft sigh after the fox took a few steps back, his strength waning slightly. He forced himself to remain alert as the two largest mammals in the room came to say their respects. "Snarlov, Grizzoli."

"Marcus." Sven greeted solemnly, keeping his emotions in check. This would be his twelfth and final ceremony before he would be in the wolf's place. "It was a pleasure working with you. A true honor." He then glanced at the younger polar bear beside him, and jerked his head forward. "Say something."

"Ah, right." Alexei Grizzoli stuttered. "I just want to say that you were the mammal that inspired me to join the Scouts and that it will be honor to g-gain your abilities…and memories…" He did his best to keep his tears at bay as he met the tired wolf's eyes. "I-I'll cherish them, always."

"Thank you." Marcus said softly. "I'm honored."

With a jerky nod from the younger one, and a solemn nod from Snarlov, the two bears stepped away from the two wolves.

"You've kept quiet this entire time, Gary." Marcus said without looking at the wolf holding him up. "No words for your cousin?"

Gary kept his gaze straight ahead, tears flowing freely down his face, soaking his facial fur. "Nothing I haven't said before." His tone was even despite his tears. He knew the other wolf knew, however. Their noses told them everything.

Marcus let out a shaky breath as he swallowed thickly. "A-and your promise?"

Gary Wolford swallowed a whine. "I'll watch over your family. I promise."

Reassured, Marcus leaned against his cousin, taking in his familiar scent. "Thank you."

There was a beat of silence as Adonis allowed the moment to stretch on. Now came the part he always dreaded; the part the killed him inside a little more every time he was forced to do it. Taking a deep breath, he spoke, shattering the moment. "It's time."

Marcus nodded weakly, feeling his remaining strength leaving him as the time finally came upon him. He did not protest when the commander took him from Gary, nor when the cape buffalo carried him bridal style to the chains and shackles. He merely closed his eyes, reliving every precious moment he could think of. These were the memories he wanted to take with him.

As the final preparations were taking place, they were all unaware of the mammals lurking behind the closed doors leading to the Transferring Chamber. There were a group of nine mammals, all of them prey. Five of them gagged and bound, their slit pupils revealing their Eldian heritage. There was another prey mammal, a black billy goat, who had the same predatory features as other Eldian prey, but he was unbound and dressed in the uniform of the Marleyan military. The other three prey mammals, three rams, lacked the features of Eldians, showing that they were normal prey; their uniforms advertised their allegiances to Marley.

"Do you understand what you need to do, Stouts?" One of the rams asked the billy goat, who nodded

"Steal the Titan ability from the Eldian devils." The black goat said, causing a whimper from one of the frightened, gagged prey mammals. That earned it a kick in the gut from one of the other rams.

"Shut it, filth." He spat on the mammal, a female kudo. "If you had proven your loyalty, you wouldn't be in this situation. Consider yourself lucky that her majesty decided to use you for such an important mission."

During the whole exchange, Frank Stout didn't bat an eye. To him, she deserved it. She was worthless Eldian scum. Devils born to be monsters. Only when they pledged their allegiance to Marley would they then have some hope for atoning for the sins of their ancestors.

The third ram, who had had his ear pressed against the doors, motioned for the others. "It's almost time!" He hissed.

"Roger." The first ram said as he brought out a syringe with a blue liquid in it. He then leaned in front of another gagged mammal—this one a small male gray mouse—and shoved the vial of the syringe into the mouse's personal spaces, causing it to squeak in fright. "Know what this is?" He taunted as the mouse tried to get as far away from the syringe as he could with his bonds. The ram chuckled menacingly. "Of course you do, but I'll tell you anyway.

"It's Nighthowler serum; the petals of a toxic flower boiled down into a concentrated form. To a normal mammal, it would cause a regression into savagery that would last indefinitely unless they were given the antidote. But for you Eldians…" He shook his head mockingly as he turned the mouse to face away from him, positioning the needle end of the syringe against the rodent's nape. It began to sob wordlessly. "When exposed to the flower, you regress to savages, though temporary. However, when you're injected with the serum," he pierced the flesh of the mouse's neck roughly, causing it to cry out, "you turn into mindless monsters!" He hissed menacingly. Seeing the ram by the door motion for them to begin, he started to inject the blue liquid into the mouse. "Be useful for once and kill your brethren." With that, he picked up the seizing mouse as the third ram opened the door and quickly threw him inside the chambers.

Alexei had just been about to inject himself with the Nighthowler serum while the others were at a far distance away, when the sudden opening of the doors stopped him. He barely had time to register the gagged and bound mouse flying through the air before a flash of light and a blast of hot air as the mouse exploded forced him to cover his eyes. Using his training, he ducked and rolled behind a pillar, just as a loud, screeching roar sounded.

Just a little before where Grizzoli had been, stood a giant, three-meter mouse. It was on all fours, and mutated. Its once gray fur was gone, leaving its pink skin bare for all to see. Its maw was forced into a large smile, its teeth a jagged mess of fangs that were too many to fit in its mouth. It was no longer a mouse that was before them.

It was a Titan.

"Titan!" Bogo shouted from their spot further into the cavern. "Snarlov, get rid of the wild Titan. Gacella, guard Wolferson. The rest of you, find the infiltrators!"

"Sir!" The members of _Ymir's Guard_ shouted in unison as they moved as one to follow their orders.

There was another bright flash and thundering explosion as Sven bit into his paw. In his place, a fifteen-meter giant mammal of myths revealed itself. Its fur was black, as was its skin. It was hunched over and had large arms and unusual paws. Rearing back on his hind legs, Snarlov pounded on his chest as he gave a challenging roar to the mouse Titan, baring his fangs.

The Ape Titan had arrived.

As Sven engaged the wild Titan, Gabby wasted no time in forcing her own transformation as she raced towards the doors, slicing her hoof on one of her horns. In an explosion of light and heat, a giant furred gazelle Titan was revealed. It had multiple horns jutting out along its spine, as well as gaining an additional set of arms as claws replaced hooves. With a vicious roar, the gazelle Titan began to bound its way towards the doors, twisting in the air with feral grace.

The Dancing Titan had arrived.

As chaos quickly ensued, Bogo managed to reach Grizzoli just before the bear could inject himself with the serum. "Don't!"

"C-Commander?" The polar bear asked in shock.

"Don't transform!" The cape buffalo instructed.

"But I could help!" Alexei protested.

"You'd only be a wild Titan and a nuisance." Adonis said fiercely as he took the syringe from the bear. He then looked into his mammal's eyes. "Until we can guarantee you getting the Attacker Titan's ability, I will not risk your livelihood. Is that understood?"

Grizzoli gave a shaky breath. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now come with me to make sure Wolferson stays safe." Bogo commanded. "I can smell that the Marleyans are behind this; no doubt they want to get a hold of a Titan Shifter; one that they've brainwashed to their ways. We need to make sure that doesn't happen." It wasn't the first time the Marleyans had tried such a thing; it was the main reason why they abducted so many Eldian citizens—but they had never gotten into the royal city.

"Yes, sir!" The young polar bear said with more certainty, and followed his leader to their chained comrade.

Meanwhile, four more wild Titans had been spawned; a kudo, a deer, a rabbit, and a sheep. All were twisted in some way, their prey traits barely noticeable. They were being dealt with as swiftly as possible, while using their Titan abilities as little as possible.

 _'It's not like I can transform here, anyways.'_ Sofia thought as she flew through the air, her blades at the ready as she neared the kudo Titan. _'I'd bring the whole place down.'_ Twirling in the air, her aim was accurate as she sliced at the Titan's nape, causing it to giving a sudden backwards jerk of its head before it fell to the ground, it's form already evaporating. _'I'm sorry we couldn't save you.'_ She thought remorsefully to the downed Titan, before concentrating on the next wild Titan.

"They're distracted!" One of the rams said behind the doors. "Do it now!"

"Right!" Frank shouted as he ran out the doors, just as the Dancing Titan took down the rabbit Titan. Her eyes tracked the black goat, and made to dispose of him when the rabbit Titan retaliated by biting one of her arms off. Enraged, she let out a bellowing roar as she focused on eliminating the threat.

Frank made it below the tribute cliff and plunged the syringe into himself, just as Bogo had gathered Marcus into his arms. The explosion of his transformation surprised the three mammals. Looking down at them was a thing of nightmares. The fifteen-meter goat Titan was stripped of its fur and skin, the muscles beneath exposed. Its horns were twisted, and it seemed to have retained its ability to stand on two legs as its blade-tipped tail lashed out behind it.

Wolferson was the first to recover, and he gave a humorless chuckle. "I'm sorry, commander." He said, right before he used the last of his strength to propel himself out of Adonis' arms and towards the goat Titan as he bit viciously into his tongue. _'I will fight 'til my last breath!'_ Marcus' form exploded amidst the commander's shouts of protest, his new form colliding with the goat Titan and forcing it onto its back.

With a high-pitched shrieking roar, the smoke cleared, revealing a ten-meter wolf Titan. The beast was mostly hairless and his skin black, save for the gray mane that encompassed his neck and shoulders, leaving his head bald and giving him an Anubis appearance. His canine fangs were disproportionately longer than his jaws could fit, looking much like that of a saber tooth's fangs. Using his armored claws to hold the goat Titan down, he reared back as he opened his jaws wide before lunging forward.

The Attacker Titan had arrived.

"Wolferson!" Bogo cried out as the goat Titan shifted at the last second, causing Marcus to miss its neck and lodge his large fangs into the crystal ground beneath it. The goat Titan used this opportunity to rake its claws along the wolf Titan's underbelly as it bit off a huge chunk of Wolferson's shoulder.

Wolferson screeched in pain as he finally managed to dislodge his fangs and reared back, going in to swipe at the goat Titan. Before he could do so, the goat Titan managed to shove his smaller form off of it, forcing the wolf Titan onto his back. The goat Titan then plunged its claws into the wolf Titan's face, ripping canine head in half as it roared in victory.

In the next second after that devastating blow, a red and white blur tackled the goat Titan off of the downed wolf Titan. The force was so strong, that it caused flesh and an arm to fly off of it as the goat Titan hit the ground. On top of it one all fours, was a fox Titan. It had no fur or skin, but had armored plates along its back, limbs, and neck. Its face looked like a ceramic fox skull with glowing blue eyes; its ears and three tails as sharp as blades. It snarled at the stunned goat Titan before it tore viciously into its neck until it reached the other side where the nape was, effectively killing it.

The Armored Titan had arrived.

But it was too late; the body of the Attacker Titan was already evaporating. Sometime during the chaos, the others had managed to capture the three Marleyan infiltrators. They were gagged and bound, an unusually serious Clawhauser keeping watch over them.

"Marcus!" Gary called out as he raced to the fading wolf Titan. " _Marcus!_ " It took very little strength to get through the rapidly decaying flesh of the Titan body, as it all but fell under the wolf's frantic paws. When he finally reached the nape of the Titan body's neck, a limp wolf paw fell out of the decaying fleshy pocket there. With a whine, the canine quickly pulled out his cousin. It was just in time, too, for when they cleared the area, the Titan corpse collapsed completely, dust and ash encompassing the area. Determinedly, Wolford tread through the ash, his cousin in his arms.

When he finally cleared the dust, he gently laid his cousin on the ground, and his breath hitched when he saw the limp wolf's smiling face.

Bogo rushed to the two wolves, Snarlov hot on his heels. He stopped short when Wolford reared his head back and let loose a heart-wrenching howl, telling him what he already guessed.

Marcus Wolferson, the holder of the Attacker Titan, was dead.

~o.8.o~

 _News of the battle spread quickly through the royal city and country, causing widespread panic among the populace. Dissention and mistrust was quick to follow within the ranks of the divisions, as it had no doubt been one of their own that had let the Marleyans into their walls. There was a silver lining to it all; the Marleyans had been unable to get their paws on a Titan Shifter, and they had gained prisoners to extract vital information from._

 _What was kept secret from the public, however, was a blow to_ Ymir's Guard _. While the Marleyans had not gained a Titan Shifter, the Eldians had lost one. If a Titan Shifter died before he could be eaten by another Titan, therefore passing on his abilities to the mammal that had consumed their spinal fluid, then his Titan ability would spawn randomly in another Eldian, with no one being the wiser._

 _For all Eldia knew, the Attacker Titan could have spawned in one of their own…or one of the captives within the grasps of Marley._

* * *

And that's a wrap! So, what do you guys think? I'm really excited for where this story will go, and I hope you all will come with me on this unique journey^^

As always, thanks for reading and leave a review if you're able to! I'd definitely appreciate it :) and fear not! I will be working on Embrace It after this! Chapter 37 is already in-progress, so hopefully it won't be too long^^

Until next time,

Ja ne!

Star


	2. Episode 2

A/N: Hey everyone!

Here is the next installment of AOZ! Yay! Took a while to get it out, but I hope you all enjoy it!

Before that, though, I want to give a big THANK YOU to DrekkDeina, CAPTAINPRICE79, DrummerMax64, and Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for taking time to give this story a chance. I knew it wouldn't be popular going in, so thank you!^^

Also, I set up an atreon that starts with a P (goodness, that's annoying) . Is it okay for me to mention that here? If not, I'll take it down later, but I wanted to let you guys know, because I know a lot of you have made it known that you want to support me. If you want the link, it's on my DA account in my Journal.

Now, onward!

~Star

* * *

 _Since the ambush on_ Ymir's Guard _, a few arrests had been made by the_ Mammal Infiltration and Termination Unit _and the_ Military Police Brigade _of individuals that had a connection to the leak, but were not the source themselves. With the mammal still at large, tensions increased further and fights and arguments broke out between the various departments as paws were pointed._

 _Two days after the ambush, a meeting was held between the king, his Royal Advisors, and the commanders of each department. Many claws were pointed at the_ MilitaryPolice Brigade _by the other departments, but were turned down by the advisors. In turn, they pointed out that it could have been the immigrants their country held, the few predators and prey mammals within Eldia that did not have the feral traits known specifically to their race._

 _This was turned down immediately by Commander Jack Savage, who reminded everyone present that no immigrants had been arrested so far into the investigation—though they weren't ruled out entirely—and that only the commanders, the royal advisors, and the king himself knew of the location of the Transferring Chamber, therefore, the leak was someone in that very room._

~o.8.o~

"How dare you accuse one of us of such treason!" A male brown bear dressed in noble clothing roared at Commander Savage.

The buck merely raised a brow at the bear. "I speak only the truth, Advisor Amberson. To react so violently, one would think I've accused _you_ personally of such an act."

Flustered, Advisor Noel Amberson reared back from the buck, fear flitting across his face.

Once again, the king and four commanders found themselves in the _War Room_ , alongside the six Royal Advisors of his majesty. Leodore Lionhart VII sat at the head of the table. On his right were Commander Savage, Commander Frost, Commander Bogo, and Commander Spottedtale. To his left sat Advisor Noel Amberson; Advisor Demetri Wolfgang, a black wolf; Advisor Cassandra Wolferson, a grey she-wolf; Advisor Zeke Paw, a fossa; Advisor Manuel Rawrson, a maned wolf; and Advisor Claudia Spots, a female cheetah.

"Enough." King Lionhart VII growled, his savage eyes glaring at the mammals before him. "This meeting has dissolved into a meaningless debacle, while we should be trying to root out the leak." The large feline sighed, the weight of the situation revealing its effect on him briefly. "Has there been any progress in finding who the new Attack Titan is?"

Bogo shook his head grimly. "We have combed through the ranks, but the symptoms of natural Titan Shifters are subtler than that of chosen Titan Shifters. For all we know, it could be anyone in this room, or an Eldian in Marley's grasps…"

The king was silent as he took this in, as were the other mammals in the room. After a moment, he stood up. "This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow. Perhaps time spent away from one another, and some good food, will help us look at the situation with new eyes. A word with you, Commander Savage." His eyes met the buck's, who nodded.

The two mammals waited as the room slowly cleared out, no one happy with the outcome. After a few moments, the doors closed, and then it was just the rabbit and the lion.

Wordlessly, the lion made his way to the large windows in the room, his gaze looking out to the horizon. A view of the magnificence that was the Royal Sector of Wall Vulpus greeted his gaze. Jack joined the lion without a word, his savage eyes taking in the view as well.

"What did you observe in today's meeting?" The lion eventually asked, his deep voice breaking the silence.

Jack answered without taking his gaze off the populace below. "Three, four possible suspects."

Leodore sighed warily, his eyes closing. "Find the traitor. By any means necessary; but be discreet. Those are your orders."

The rabbit buck straightened out his posture as he saluted his king; his right fist curled slightly to the right as he placed it over his heart, with his left fist curled to the left as he placed it against his lower back. "Yes, your Majesty."

"We leave it in your paws." The king said as Commander Savage made his way out of the War Room.

~o.8.o~

In a secluded corner of the _Royal Library_ of _Zootopia_ , Judy Hopps sat at a desk made for her height, surrounded by stacks of books at least three times bigger than her. The gray bunny had arrived at the public library at eight in the morning, when the establishment had opened, trying in vain to gleam some type of clue from the records. It was now nearing two in the afternoon, and she was no closer to discovering how to control wild Titans than the day before.

 _'Of course, it was naïve to think they'd leave such knowledge out in the open.'_ The bunny chastised herself. _'But where else could it be?'_

Frustrated, the doe pulled at her ears as she let out a silent groan, before allowing her head to lower towards the desk with a soft thud. It was at that moment that her stomach let itself be known, complaining about its lack of sustenance with an audible growl. Turning her head to the side, she rested her temple against the wood of the desk as she gazed unseeingly at the shelf before her.

It was more than just her current situation that was bothering her. For the past two days, Judy had felt off. She felt itchy, her fur prickling at odd times for no reason; and she was tired despite having slept through the nights in a dead sleep. There could only be two reason she could think of for this: her first heat cycle was going to be coming soon, or she was getting sick. Neither of which were appealing. _'Actually, I rather be sick.'_ She thought glumly.

Her stomach complained again, and the doe sighed. "Maybe a break will help matters."

With food in mind, Judy left for the exit, leaving the books in their place; she wouldn't be long, after all. Letting the librarian known that she'd be back on her way out, she exited the _Royal Library_. Once outside, she was again struck by the grandeur of the Royal Sector. Shaking her head to focus, she headed for the East Gate, the destination in mind a café within Wall Feline. While there were many shops around her, there was no way she could afford them with her income. Fortunately, the _Royal Library_ was fairly close to the Eastern Gates, and it was only a ten-minute walk before she reached the Marketplace.

Scanning the area as she walked, a flash of red caught her attention, and she paused, turning her head in that direction. There, amongst the crowd, was the fox from yesterday. Slightly entranced, she watched the handsome tod make his way through the crowds confidently. Now that she was able to get a better look at him, he seemed younger than she had originally thought, late teens or early twenties the oldest. A part of her noted that he would only be a few years older than her fifteen years. With a sharp intake of breath, Judy realized that she was staring. Embarrassed, the doe was about to avert her eyes when she noticed something off in the way the fox moved.

"What…?" She muttered to herself as she narrowed her eyes in concentration. Her previous embarrassment forgotten, the doe watched the fox without reserve, slowly hedging closer to him so as not to lose him in the crowd. She paid particular attention to his arms, specifically, his paws.

With eyes straight ahead, an easy smile on his face, the red fox slipped his paw into the pocket of a clearly noble mountain lion and withdrew his silver clasped billfold, with the feline none the wiser.

Gasping in shock, her face quickly settled into an expression of righteous fury. _'He's not going to get away with this!'_

The charming red fox tod calmly and confidently made his way to a secluded alley, his smile only growing as he once again made a successful run. Leaning against the alley wall, the young tod brought out his latest 'donation', and with a lick of a finger, began to count his winnings. He had a second to register rapid paws heading his way before a strong, female voice sounded at him.

"You're under arrest!"

Ears perked and a finger pressed against his tongue mid lick, the fox nearly panicked until he saw the rabbit from yesterday at the mouth of the alley. Drawing his tongue back into his maw, the fox gave her his best charming smile as he placed the money in his pocket. "Hello, sweetheart. Feeling better today?"

Ignoring the blush that statement sent up her ears, Judy glared at him. "Don't try to sweet talk me, fox! You are under arrest!"

He didn't react the way she expected him to. Instead of becoming fearful, he turned to his side so his shoulder was resting against the wall and he was facing the rabbit, an amused expression on his face. "One would call that profiling, little cutie."

"Don't call me cute!" Judy said sternly as she marched up to the fox, savage amethyst meeting savage emeralds. Raising a paw up to him, she poked his chest indignantly. "And don't act so innocent; you just pickpocketed that noble!"

"It's not like I took his life savings." The fox didn't bother to deny it as he then pushed himself off the wall and leaned in closer, getting into her personal space. She did her best to control the blush that worsened as a result. "A mammal like that-what I took was pocket change. He won't miss it, _believe_ me." He winked at her, and then stood to his full height. "Besides, you can't arrest me; you don't have the authority to do so."

Fuming, Judy stomped her foot. "Yes, I do!"

Amused emeralds took her in as the fox walked around her, only to gaze at her back. "Only the _Military_ _Police_ have the authority to arrest citizens, sweetheart, and the black and white wings on your back say that you're a part of the _Scout's Regiment_. So, no, you don't."

"I can take you to them," she insisted, irked that the tod was right.

"Sure you can." The fox agreed, throwing her off-balance a bit. "But who's to say I can't... _persuade them_ to look the other way? After all, Mr. Noble gave me a rather generous 'donation', and the _MP_ do like their 'bonuses'. Besides, with that ambush just a few days ago, they have more important things to worry about than a pickpocket." His grin became absolutely smug. "I'll be released with a slap on the wrist, and you'll look like an attention-seeking bunny. Isn't that right, Ms. Hopps?"

"H-how…?" The doe asked, nose twitching.

The tod casually shoved his paws into the pockets of his trousers as he once again invaded Judy's personal space. His eyes were half-lidded as he spoke, his tone smooth and confident. "I know everything about everyone within these walls. You're Judy Hopps; the first rabbit in the _Scout's_ _Regiment_ , the cousin of Commander Savage, _and_ you'll be turning sixteen soon." Satisfied with her shocked expression, the tod made to exit the alley. "You may have friends in high places, but so do I. Have a good day, Carrots."

It was the use of that utterly ridiculous word as a pet name that snapped Judy out of her shock, and the doe quickly bounded her way in front of the tod, stopping him in his tracks. She glared up at him. "Where do you think you're going, fox?"

"The name's Irus, Carrots," the fox said in an annoyingly patient tone that bordered on mocking, "and I was just about to go take a stroll down the street, as I was doing before you so rudely interrupted me. And you should go back to what you were doing before, as well."

"The library!" The doe burst out unintentionally, having completely forgotten about her research.

 _'And that's my cue…'_ Irus thought with a smug smile as he made to slip by the rabbit Scout. A firm tug on the tail of his coat brought him to a an internal sigh, he turned to find the cloth in the paws of Judy.

"Stop right there, fox." She made a point of not using his name, since Irus wasn't returning the favor. "You're coming with me. We'll stop by the library briefly, and then I'm taking you to the _MP_."

"Well, at least I'll get to see a show." Irus said with a patronizing smile. "It's always entertaining to watch mammals make fools of themselves."

This resulted in an infuriated rabbit dragging a smug fox through the Eastern Gate and towards the _Royal_ _Library_. Resigned to the fact that he would not be able to easily escape, and not feeling up to wasting energy, Irus allowed Judy to drag him along.

 _'This is bound to be amusing.'_ He thought cynically.

Entering the library with her soon-to-be-prisoner, she waved off the curious looks of the librarian deer doe, and quickly led the fox to her stack of books.

Irus rose a brow at the stacks. "Those are some large books for such a little bunny."

"Shut it." Judy snapped, and then picked up a book with a bit of effort; there was no way she'd be able to continue her research with the fox in her custody. Sighing internally at the lost time, she turned to glare at the vulpine. "Stay."

He gave her a mocking salute, and watched as the doe went to put the book back to where it was. Idly curious as to what she'd been trying to look up, Irus picked up a book and glanced at the title. _"The Tales of Ymir"_ stared back at him, and his head cocked to the side with curiosity. Setting that book down and grabbing another, he found that each book the bunny Scout had gathered had something to do with Ymir. Spotting her notebook that she had left behind, he picked it up as well, and felt shock strike him to his core.

When Judy came back to where her books were, she was surprised to see the fox still there, half expecting him to have booked it by then—especially with the way she had treated him. She could admit to herself that she had overstepped her boundaries, but she couldn't help but feel slighted by the fox. Which was ridiculous; she didn't even know him. Just because she found him attractive, that gave her no—

"Why are you looking for ways to control wild Titans?" The calm voice of the tod brought her out of her thoughts, making her notice for the first time that Irus was holding her notebook.

She made to protest, but lost her voice when Irus turned his gaze to her. There was none of the playfulness that had annoyed her earlier. His gaze was serious as he took her in. "T-that's none of your business!" She stuttered, cursing herself for her jumbled nerves as she made to grab the notebook from him.

"Well, whatever it is, you won't find it here." Irus said slyly, and internally smirked as her ears popped up in interest. He smelled a hustle here. "Fortunately for you, I know where you might be able to find it. Unfortunately for you, I'm not going to tell you."

Judy turned her gaze away from Irus to hide her disappointment, ears drooping, and biting her lip as she brought her notebook to her chest. _'I need that information, or Lord Otterton and the rest will be…'_ Prior to the ambush, the whole force was informed that they would not be going on a rescue mission for their captives immediately, much to the horror of many. And Judy was particularly close to Lord and Lady Otterton, who had frequented their farm when she was a kit for the flowers they grew. The more time they wasted… _'It's been two days already…'_ Judy closed her eyes and sighed, unaware of the grin on Irus' face.

"If I don't take you to the _MP_ …" Judy began hesitantly, unable to look at the fox as she spoke, "will you tell me where I can find the information I'm looking for?"

 _'Bingo.'_ "Hm…" Irus pretended to think about it, and smirked at the bunny who finally opened her eyes and shot him an odd look that was a combination of glaring and pleading. "Toss in a cart of blueberries, and I'll _show_ you where it is. I'll even help."

"A cart?!" Judy protested. "That's a whole month's worth of income!"

"Take it or leave it." The fox grinned.

Fuming, she grumbled her agreement reluctantly.

"Wonderful!" Irus clapped his paws, ignoring the indignant squawk from the librarian about them being silent. "Let's get these books put away, and then I'll show you to the information you seek."

~o.8.o~

"Absolutely fascinating." A female voice sounded in the darkness.

She growled at the voice, her hackles raising. She didn't understand it. Only knew that it was danger. Her struggles against her bonds increased as her panic grew.

"Remove the blindfold." The same voice said.

She hissed at it, and yowled in rage as she felt enemy paws suddenly on her. She began to thrash about, trying her best to free herself from the mammals holding her down. A pained whimper left her sharply as something hit her shoulder with force. As the pain paralyzed her, she slumped to the ground as the blindfold was removed.

The light that met her eyes was not harsh as she panted on the hard ground beneath her. Looking around in a daze, her blurry vision took in the forms of sheep in weird coverings. Scenting the air, she found that they were not her brethren, and hissed at them in warning.

"Bring in the other one." That female voice said again, and she turned her head in its direction. There, a white wooled ewe stood in coverings of blue, purples, and green. Her gaze was cold as she stared through the weird clear thing perched on her stubby snout.

She growled at the ewe.

A loud noise caused her to turn her head sharply, her nose taking in the new scents of the mammals entering the chamber she was in.

Another enemy.

Another enemy.

Ano…

She started to whimper as she scented her brethren, her eyes zeroing on the male otter in torn coverings that had just walked in. Desperately, she started to mewl for help. The otter's eyes widened when he saw her.

"Madam Swiftpaw! What have you done to her?!" The otter shouted at the ewe as he struggled against his own bonds, only to be hit in the back of his head by one of the rams behind him.

The ewe met the eyes of the rams holding the otter, and waved a paw.

The otter cried out as one of the rams behind him grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, pulling his head back. The other ram carefully dug into a reptilian leather bag attached to his waist with gloves of the same leather, pulling out a hoof-full of vibrant blue petals. He then forced the otter's mouth open amidst his struggles and shoved them into his maw.

"M-mmgh…!" The otter gasp as he tried to spit the petals out of his mouth, a few of them making it down his throat as he swallowed reflexively. The rams released him as he did this, allowing him to fall to his knees and hunch over as tremors began to wrack his body. With drool leaking from his maw, he forced his head up to glare at the ewe. "W-why are yo—" A gasp followed by a growl forced its way out, leaving his sentence unfinished as he lost his sanity.

Her majesty, Queen Dawn Bellewether of Marley, watched with cold interest as the otter noble they captured a few days earlier turned into a savage. A few feet away from him, the older female lynx they had turned earlier continued to mewl pathetically. The ewe couldn't recall what her title had been, but it didn't matter at the moment.

"You see how they instantly recognize each other as brethren?" Dawn said to a black wool ram beside her; Jesse Ramson III, one of her advisors.

"Yes, my queen." He said as he watched the savage otter hiss menacingly at all of them until its gaze landed on the lynx. Its entire demeanor changed and it struggled to reach her, and then tried to shield the female from their gaze. It was instinctive of males to protect females, regardless if they were their mates or not, after all.

"While the effects of the petals are temporary for all mammals, the Eldians are the only ones able to recognize each other in that savage state. All other races see no reason, and find no allies." The queen said as she continued to observe the mammals. "Imagine the power I would have, with an army of savages that did not attack each other? If we cannot find a way to control the wild Titans, I want to put effort into this venue." A sinister grin spread across her face.

"Soon, Eldia will be mine. Then the world will follow."

~o.8.o~

"Afraid of being alone with a fox?"

The question came after a full body shudder ripped its way through Judy's body just as the pair had entered a secluded part of the palace. She thought she'd hid it from the tod, but apparently not. She glared at Irus. "Of course not! It's just cold in here." She tried to play it off.

"Right." Irus snorted. "In the middle of summer."

Her glare intensified, but she let it slide as she took in their surroundings, her paw coming up to scratch at the fur of her neck absently. "Where are we, anyways?"

They were in a study of some sort, deep within the palace. When she had questioned where they were going prior, Irus had shushed her, before he led her down corridors that she knew of, but had never ventured herself.

"The King's Study." Irus said casually as he fiddled with one of the large books on the lowest shelf of the bookcase opposite the door.

"What?!" Judy nearly shouted in shock, turning sharply to gaze at the fox.

Irus turned to her just as quickly, a finger pressed against his lips as he hissed at her. "Shhhh! Carrots, are you trying to get us caught?"

"This is trespassing!" The doe countered back in a slight panic, though her voice had lowered down to a whisper.

At that, the tod stood up with a confident smirk on his maw. "Only if we get caught." He then turned back to the bookcase, and used quite a bit of force to pull a large black book from the case. It moved oddly, as if the base of the spine was anchored down. With an audible click, the book remained halfway sticking out as the entire bookshelf began to groan. Then, as Irus moved out of the way, it slowly opened up at one corner, revealing a hidden passageway.

Judy stared at the hidden door for a moment, her shock evident by her slack-jawed reaction.

Irus chuckled as he tapped a digit against her chin, causing her maw to shut with a click of her teeth. "Come on, Carrots. Time waits for no one." The fox said as he made his way to the entrance, his tail swaying smugly behind him.

Mesmerized, it was only when the black, bushy end of Irus' tail disappeared down the passage, did Judy snap out of her shock. Flustered, she rushed to follow the fox. Almost immediately, the door closed behind her, darkness washing over her as she let out an instinctive gasp.

"Irus?"

The sound of metal clanking, a metallic clicking noise, and a fuse igniting tickled her ears as a spark flashed before her. A single flame appeared in the palm of the fox's paw, the source a lighter he was currently holding. The small flame cast shadows of sharp contrast against the face of the fox, dancing across his fur, and causing his eyes to shine brightly.

"Scared?" Irus grinned at the rabbit doe.

Giving herself a mental shake, Judy scoffed. "Please. I face wild Titans. The dark doesn't scare me."

"Right." The tod drawled, and then bopped a pawpad against her twitching nose. "And your cute little nose is twitching because your happy."

Judy slapped his paw away indignantly, and then glared at him as she tried to stop her nose from moving. "Don't call me cute!"

"I didn't." Irus chuckled as he turned towards the brick wall of the passage, lighter in paw, revealing unlit torches. Reaching out for one that was at his height, he finished without looking at her. "I called your nose cute. There's a difference."

Not wanting to argue with the clearly insane fox—which made her doubt her decision to go through with this even more—Judy decided to ask a different question. "How do you know about this place, anyways?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Irus chastised as he lit the torch in his paw, putting his lighter away as he turned to face his unlikely companion. He smirked at her. "That wasn't part of the deal."

Crossing her arms and tapping her foot furiously against the cobbled floor of the passage, Judy glared at the fox. "Then do _your_ part of it, before I decide it's more convenient to just hand you over to the _MP_ , instead of going through all of this nonsense."

"You're the boss." Irus smirked, before turning and, torch in paw, led the way down the dark passageway.

As they walked, Judy took in what little surroundings she could with the light provided. Granted, she had better night vision than your average prey because of her Eldian heritage, but she still had difficulty seeing things properly. What she _could_ see told her that the passage was old, cobwebs showing that it was hardly used. Nearly forgotten.

Refocusing her eyes on the back of the fox before her, she took in the clothing that suggested a wealthy upbring, yet the wear and tear she hadn't noticed before implied a life of labor. Judy felt her curiosity further piqued. _'Who are you, Irus?'_

Unable to tell the passage of time, Judy wasn't sure how long the two mammals walked. It could have been five minutes or an entire hour, all in silence. Right when the doe thought she'd go insane, they arrived at another door.

This door, unlike the rest of the passage, seemed to be in pristine condition. It was well maintained, and did not have any signs of wear. Likely, it had been recently replaced, which only gave Judy more questions than answers. Her ears fell down her back when she saw the modern, reinforced lock on the wooden door. "It's locked."

"What an astute observation, Carrots!" Irus mocked as he reached into the collar of his shirt, hidden from the bunny's gaze. "Fear not, for I will tear down this obstacle for you!" He said as he pulled something from his shirt. It was a key.

For a brief moment, the tod gazed at the tapered brass in his paw, the key itself attached to a simple black cord that was looped around his neck, and hidden by his fur. The flickering light of the torch in his paw reflected off the metal, pulling him into a trance as memories flooded his mind for an infinite second.

The sound of paws shuffling impatiently against cobbled ground brought him out of his reverie, and Irus gave himself a mental shake, before he inserted the key into the lock. With practiced paws, he deftly unlocked the door, opened it with a flick of his wrist, and held it open for the doe with a smug expression on his face.

Judy would have kicked him in the shin, if she weren't so focused on the room the tod had revealed. An ear tilted in the direction of Irus as he allowed the door to close, and followed the tod as he shuffled around the room. He paused every now and then, lighting another torch that was stationed in the room. With each lit torch, more was revealed.

It was another study, but smaller than that of the king's from before-as if it were made for mammals their size—but no less opulent. Expensive tapestries depicting battles between mammals and Titans hung on the walls. There was one in the center of the room, easily the largest, right behind the single desk, that was a dark crimson. Embroidered into it was a large flame-colored fox with nine tails on all fours.

Gaze locked on the tapestry, Judy spoke softly. "Where are we?"

"That's not important." Irus said quickly, causing Judy to frown.

 _'He's hiding something.'_ She thought as she turned to face the tod, a retort on her lips. He continued without looking at her.

"What _is_ important, is getting that information you want." Irus said, pulling out a book from the bookshelf. Glancing at the title, a pleased smile lifted his face, before he presented the front of the book to her. "And it looks like I picked the right book to start with."

 _"Eldian Physiology and Titans"_ stared back at Judy.

For the next few hours, the pair poured over book after book after book, and an odd sort of camaraderie settled upon them. The annoyance the doe had felt for the tod earlier waned as the two shared what they discovered through the old tomes, the silence no longer uncomfortable. In turn, the tod felt she was more than who he assumed her to be, and therefore lessened the barbs he sent her way, turning it into a game between the two as Judy learned to give as good as she got.

As time passed, Judy found herself learning many new things that were not taught in the schools of _Zootopia_. For instance, the first city of Eldia was _Zootopia_. That was common knowledge to everyone in the country. What wasn't common, was how it was formed. The watering hole where it all started, where a few brave groups of prey sought out solace with a few odd, pacifist groups of predators from other prey and predator oppressors. How the peace they forged against a common enemy brought forth to them the presence of a mammal they had never seen before. The upper half was of that of an eagle, feline ears perched on its crown, its large wings on display on its back, and sharp eyes full of intelligence-something unheard of, as birds were not sentient beings. The lower half of the strange mammal resembled that of a lion, with a few feathers in the coat, and the end of the tail tapering off into a plume of long tail feathers, rather than a tuft of fur common to lions.

A griffin.

The griffin introduced herself as Ymir, the Original Titan. She told them how their coming together despite their differences, their very nature to be against one another cast aside, intrigued her. Impressed her. As a reward for their efforts, she claimed them as her people, making them a part of her, and she a part of them. This was why, despite their diversity, all predators of Eldia are more savage looking in appearance, and all prey of Eldia have sharper claws and fangs; all sharing the savage eyes of Ymir.

"Huh." Judy murmured to herself. _'I wonder why they don't teach this in school.'_ Indeed, for it answered many questions the doe had fleetingly entertained throughout her youth, but had never had a strong desire for the answers to them.

Something she was only now finding a bit odd, considering her nature.

The sudden slamming of a book spooked Judy out of her thoughts, and she turned to the fox who was sharing the space with her.

"I call for a break." Irus stated as he stood up from his seat, his fur standing on end and poofing out as he stretched his limbs. A small whine escaped him as he did so.

Judy wanted to protest, but her stomach spoke for her, once again reminding her that she hadn't eaten before running into the mysterious tod. "I suppose we can break for something to eat." She conceded with a sigh.

"Don't act so reluctant there, Carrots." Irus teased as he put his books back on their respective shelves. She noted that the action seemed natural to the tod, as if he were doing it by memory. The fox tossed a smirk at her as he glanced at her stomach. "I heard that tiger you've got trapped in there."

With a role of her eyes to hide her amusement, for the fox had grown on her in their hours spent researching, the two made their way out of the hidden study. With great care, they sneaked passed guards and _Military Police_ personnel alike as they headed to the palace doors.

Right as they were passing the Advisor's Hall, Irus suddenly pulled her into a small closet near one of the offices.

"Wha—" She began to protest, but a paw over her maw, and an arm wrapping firmly around her waist silenced her as her back was pulled flush against the tod's chest. Embarrassed, she nearly missed the muffled conversation happening on the other side of the wall they were currently pressed against. As Irus listened for the guards he had spotted moments before, Judy turned her ears to the conversation happening behind them.

Small and cowardly most of her species may be, a rabbit's hearing was one of the best out there, something that was constantly overlooked in the construction of establishments where secrecy was of the utmost importance. So while the fox behind her would only hear muffled sounds, Judy was able to make out every word spoken by one of the Royal Advisors, and it made her stiffen in shock, gaining a curious glance from Irus.

After deeming the threat of discovery to be gone, the tod led them out of the closet as quietly as they could.

"You okay?" Irus whispered to Judy. At her stiff nod, the tod shrugged, figuring it was because of their impromptu embrace in the closet. The two then continued their escape of the palace. Once outside, Judy's eyes widened for what felt like the nth time that day.

"It's night?!"

Irus chuckled at her reaction. "What did you expect, Fluff? You dragged me into this a little after two in the afternoon, and we were in there," he jerked a thumb back at the palace as he began to lead them away from it, "for at least four hours." Pulling out a pocket watch from his trousers, the fox glanced at the time. "It's now seven in the evening. Of course, it's dark."

"I didn't realize how much time has passed…" Judy mumbled, not as bothered by the fox's sass as she would have been earlier that day. Another shudder ran through her body, her fur standing on end.

Irus glanced at the doe with concern. He had noticed that the rabbit Scout had been experiencing moderate twitches and shudders throughout their time in the study, and at first he had thought she'd been uncomfortable being alone with him. While Eldian prey were closer socially and physically with predators, they still held vestigial instincts of fear against them. His nose, however, told him that hadn't been the case. "You alright, Fluff?"

"I'm fine. Where are we going, anyways?" Judy asked quickly to change the subject.

Shrugging to himself, the fox decided to let it go. _'It's no concern of mine.'_ He thought, even as the worry remained. "There's this establishment run by prey around the corner…" He trailed off as Judy shook her head in the negative.

"There's no way I can afford anything in the Royal Sector." The bunny explained.

Irus smirked. "Fear not, Carrots. After all, I received a hefty 'donation' earlier today."

"That money was s—" Judy began to protest, but was silenced by the fox digit suddenly pressed against her lips, her eyes wide as the fox leaned into her personal space once more.

His eyes were smug, his tone charming. "Don't think too hard on it, sweetheart, you may just hurt yourself." He then casually removed his paw, satisfied with Judy's speechlessness. "You think you can manage that?"

Flustered, the doe floundered for words for a bit, before finally huffing as she crossed her arms and looked away. Lowering her ears to hide her blush, she muttered, "Whatever."

Taking that as another victory, the tod led the rabbit to the restaurant he had mentioned before. It was a quaint little place, modest by noble standards. To Judy, it would be the nicest place she'd ever dined.

The hostess, a white-tailed deer doe, smiled at them in greeting. "Welcome to Dainty Pastures. My name is Daphny. How may I assist you this fine evening?"

"Table for two." Nick said to the hostess.

"This way, please." Daphny said as she grabbed two menus before leading the two through the restaurant. As they walked, Judy noticed that there weren't too many patrons there that evening.

 _'It's still rather early.'_ Judy thought as they stopped at a table. _'That can change.'_

"Here we are." The hostess gestured to the table. It was made for mammals of their height, with a single white table cloth thrown neatly over it. The customary plates and cutlery were in place for two mammals, and right in the middle was a lit candle.

"Robert will be your server this evening." Daphny said once they were seated, placing their menus before them. Taking out a notepad and pencil, and focused on them. "May I get your drink requests before I leave?"

"I'll have the blueberry wine." Irus said as he glanced at his menu briefly. He then cocked a brow at Judy.

"Carrot juice will do nicely, thank you." Judy said with a smile. She ignored how her drink selection stretched a grin across Irus' muzzle.

After the deer left with their order, Judy focused on the mysterious tod before her. "Blueberry wine?"

"I have a penchant for the berry." Irus said without shame, a gleaming spark in his eyes as he spoke of his favorite treat. "And since my eighteenth birthday, I've found that blueberry wine is far more superior to the traditional grape wine."

 _'At least eighteen, then.'_ Judy thought absently. "Is that why you included such a ridiculous amount of them in our...deal?"

Irus scoffed. "There is no such thing as too many blueberries, Carrots."

Amused, Judy held her tongue as a male hare in a waiter's uniform befitting such a place, arrived at their table, their drinks in paw.

"My name is Robert, and I'll be your server this evening." He said as he placed their drinks down. In a mimic of Daphny, he pulled out a notepad and pencil. "Are we ready to order?" After quickly skimming the menu—the fact that they did not showcase the prices alarmed her greatly—the pair placed their orders, and were once again left to themselves.

As Irus took a sip of his wine, Judy took this moment to take another look around the restaurant. The lighting was dim, even with all the glowing crystals and candles lighting the place, creating a soothing atmosphere. There were candles on each table as well, and flowers placed strategically about the place and filling it with a pleasant fragrance. It all created a very romantic environment.

It was then that it struck Judy how this could be perceived by others, causing a blush to warm her ears. Glancing at the tod, she felt her blush deepen as she found his eyes on her, his gaze intense.

The silence was broken by the arrival of their food—a roasted mushroom dish for Irus, and a tulip and arugula salad for Judy. As the doe focused on her food, she was highly aware of the tod's gaze on her. Unable to take it anymore, she snapped her eyes to his, and pointed her fork at him. "What?"

"Hm?" Irus hummed around a mouthful of his dish, feigning ignorance.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" She nearly hissed, her embarrassment causing her hears to pressed further against her back.

"I can admire a cutie when I see one." The fox said charmingly.

"Don't call me cute!"

"But it's true." Irus countered softly, something in his gaze changing; becoming softer. It made her nose twitch. "I know what it means when other rabbits use the term, and that is the way I mean it."

Eyes wide, Judy stared at Irus in disbelief as his words settled upon her. _'He thinks I'm cute…?'_ The brief flash of mischief in savage emeralds made her paws curl into fists. "Nice try, _fox_. I know you are only jesting me."

"Perhaps." The tod conceded with a smirk. "That does not mean it is untrue." Before she could dissolve into flustered sputters, Irus continued. "So, why are you looking for a way to control wild Titans?" He spoke in a low tone, his voice only for her ears.

More than a little off-balanced and her defenses lowered, the question washed away all embarrassment, bring forth the seriousness of her situation once more. Sighing, the doe set down her utensils as she averted her gaze to her food.

When she didn't automatically refuse him, Irus' ears perked with interest as he waited patiently to see how this conversation would go.

After a moment of internal debate, Judy met his gaze. "Lord Otterton...he's a family friend, and the king has decided not to go rescue him. Not immediately."

"Why?" Irus asked, his brow frowning in shock. "Our forces have always been successful."

Judy nodded in agreement solemnly. "However, with the Attacker Titan lost…"

"What?" The fox gasped, his eyes alarmed. As a result, Judy gasped in her own alarm, her paws flying to cover her maw. "The Attacker Titan—"

"You mustn't tell anyone!" The doe hissed as she leaned across the table, her face dangerously close to the tod's. "You weren't supposed to know!" She herself wasn't supposed to know, being new to the forces. However, when they had been trapped in that closet earlier, the conversation Judy had overheard from the Advisor's office had revealed to her the true gravity of their situation.

"How do you know?" Irus questioned, his gaze doubtful.

Judy licked her lips. "When we were in that closet earlier…there was a conversation going on in the adjacent office." She flicked an ear purposely to bring his attention to them. "Rabbits have really good hearing."

After a moment, Irus seemed to accept her explanation. Leaning forward, he asked with hushed urgency, "How did this happen?" Neither noticed that their noses were nearly touching, their conversation seeming to be one of passion to onlookers.

Biting her lip in hesitance, Judy decided the damage was already done; a little more knowledge wouldn't hurt the tod. "In the ambush, Captain Marcus Wolferson died in combat...the transfer was not successful. At this time, we don't know who the new Attacker Titan is."

Eyes far away as he took in all this new information, along with all the implication it came with, Irus felt himself come to a decision. He had thought this doe to be just another attention-seeking dreamer, another mammal wanting to make a name for themselves. He was obviously wrong. When his savage eyes met savage amethyst, he was serious as he spoke. "No more jesting, Hopps. We'll find out how to control the wild Titans."

As young Judy Hopps gazed into the determined eyes of her unlikely companion, she couldn't help but be grateful for a comrade in this endeavor. She also couldn't help but wonder who Irus really was once more, and vowed to herself that she would find out.

~o.8.o~

 _With the hour being late, the new comrades departed after agreeing to meet up the next day by the Eastern Gates of Wall Vulpus. A new understanding had formed between rabbit and fox, both seeking the truth for different reasons. Determined for answers, they seemed unstoppable._

 _Unbeknownst to them, the answers they sought would be more than they would expect, putting all they once knew into question..._

~o.8.o~

And that's a wrap! I hope you guys enjoyed it!^^

As always, thanks for reading and leave a review if your able to! I love reading them, and they motivate me!

Now, I'm off to work on Embrace It...mostly lol Until next time!

~Star


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